Antiquarian General Literature. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.IMPORTANT!

This is the ROBERT TEMPLE BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE. It contains descriptions and notes relating to almost 18,000 titles in the fields of British and American literature, being the bulk of the stock that has passed through our hands since 1984, with the addition of a few earlier items of especial interest. Books currently in stock are not included, and it is therefore necessary to supplement your search by looking at our Current Catalogues. For the most part full bibliographical descriptions are given, though for some earlier items, catalogued when computing space was more restricted the details given are quite brief. For an account of the conventions adopted, the abbreviations used, and reference sources consulted, please see our information pages.

Please note: The arrangement here is the same as that adopted in our current catalogues, and as there our larger files are presented in sections for ease of downloading. At the end of each section you are invited to browse the next.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File A: Antiquarian General Literature. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

YOUNG (E[dward]., LL.D.). A Vindication Of Providence: Or, a True estimate Of Human life. In which The Passions are considered in a New Light. Preached in St. George's Church near Hanover- Square, soon after the late King's Death. By E. Young, LL.D., Rector of Welwyn in Hertfordshire, and Chaplain In Ordinary to His Majesty. London: Printed for Henry Lintot, 1747. Lge post 8vo; half-title not called for; pp.[viii]+72; disbound. Title-page a little darkened towards foot; otherwise a nice copy.

ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File A: Antiquarian General Literature. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[YOUNG (Edward).]. The Centaur Not Fabulous. In Five Letters to a Friend, On The Life in Vogue. London: Printed for A. Millar in the Strand; And R. and J. Dodsley in Pallmall. [sic] 1755. Extra cr.8vo, not watermarked; half-title not called for; text-paper frontispiece; nine entry Errata on verso of title leaf; pp.[ii (frontispiece)]+[iii (title-page] - xvi+[ii (fly-title to first letter)]+378; [- (frontispiece)]1, [A]1, B9, C - I, K - U, X - Z, Aa - Bb8, Cc4, Dd1; contemporary full calf, spine with five raised bands, contrasting lettering-piece, gilt rules to sides and spine. Calf a little worn at corners; joints cracking, but sound on the cords; lacking the frontispiece; Roman numerals on title-page translated into Arabic ones in ink; errata neatly corrected in text in the contemporary hand of Thos. Vaughan, who has also written his name on the front end-paper, notes for an index on the back end-paper, and placed a handful of neat marginal ticks against passages in the text; internally very clean and fresh otherwise, and a large copy with good margins.

A fine prose work by the author of the celebrated ‘Night Thoughts', ably reflecting his not inconsiderable skills, despite his then advancing years. Preacher, poet, dramatist, and satirist, Young was known to (and disliked by) Pope, Fielding, and Swift. The cause of their dislike was Young's constant and extravagant praise to would-be patrons, his toadying often taking the form of odes. His abilities were admitted, nonetheless, even by his critics. Dr. Johnson noted that, with all his defects, he was a man of genius and a poet. He is particularly remembered for his gift for epigram, whilst as a poet he had a very remarkable influence especially outside of England. "Klopstock wrote a poem upon his death, and he was considered by other German writers to be superior to Milton." - DNB. The present work is a diatribe against the constant pursuit of pleasure. In his dedication to an anonymous lady Young explains his title: "The Men of Pleasure, the licentious, and profligate, are the subject of these letters; and in such, as in the fabled Centaur, the Brute runs away with the Man: therefore I call them Centaurs. And farther, I call them Centaurs not fabulous, because by their scarce half-human conduct, and character, that enigmatical, and purely ideal figure of the Antients, is not unriddled only, but realized." Rothschild, 2621; Straus, pp.354-5; May, Henry Pettit Collection Bibliography, B190. In this copy, B3 is a single inset leaf, B9 a cancel tipped in on a stub, and B8 (bearing press-mark ‘7') also apparently a cancel, none of this being noted in the Rothschild copy, whilst May records only that B3 is a singleton. Rothschild and May both note however that N1 and N2, R1 and R2, and U1 are cancels, Rothschild adding that N2 and R2 are unsigned. This appears to be the case likewise in the present copy, R2, however bearing the press-mark ‘2'. There is no ms. addition to p.131 as called for by May. The volume was printed by Young's friend, Samuel Richardson.